Entertainment Review

Flo smart thermometer

I remember one time when I was a kid when I woke feeling sick but my mother made me to school anyway because our thermometer was broke and she though I was faking. Midday, I was sent home with a high fever.

My mom felt so guilty, that for months afterwards, I could get out of going to class anytime I wanted by just claiming to not feel well.

Developed by Zeraph through a Kickstarter campaign last year that raised US$92,290, the small, portable, plastic-covered device is a quick and easy way to take someone's temperature.

And it's more hygienic as you don't put it in the would-be patient's mouth – or some other orifice. You simply hold the thermometer about 2.5 cm away from the forehead and click the base of the Flo. In a second or two, an LED light at the top of the device will illuminate: Red means the person has a fever, purple means a chill and green means the person is OK.

You can also connect the Flo to an iOS or Android device via Bluetooth and, with a free companion app, you can get an exact temperature reading in either Celsius or Fahrenheit. And if you're a data nerd, you can also create profiles for multiple people in the app to track their temperature readouts over time.

In addition to people, the Flo smart thermometer can also record the temperature of objects, such as tea or a baby's bottle of milk, to gauge whether it is too hot to drink. Simply hold on the button for three second to enter object mode and then take the temperature the same way. The results will appear on the app.

That's not really much to say on it other than it works like it promises to. The only real drawback is the price. Available at Zeraph's website for $67.34, it might seem a little steep to somebody used to buying ones for under $20. But it is comparable to other contactless thermometers on the market and its lithium battery does give the Flo a long battery life. So all in all, it's worth the purchase if you need a new thermometer.